A sunny, radiant golden body that in appearance much more closely resembles a pilsner than an unfiltered wheat beer. Far be it for me to call Brooklyn liars, but my sample of their "unfiltered hefe-weizen" is sparkling clear, even 'mit hefe'. They're also off the mark claiming it as traditional because the lack of head is anything but. There are visible signs of carbonation but they amount to little more than a soapy trim.

Fortunately, the aroma smells every bit as German as the beer's name is spelled. Pungent notes of spicy clove and fruity notes of banana both waft right below the nostrils. That smell of banana leaves the impression of something summery or tropical. Notes of wheat husks abound, the beer smells more grainy than sweet. And, just a touch of vanilla bean surfaces as the beer starts to warm.

The taste is exceptionally light, even for a wheat beer. Largely lost are those suggestions of summer flowers and tropical fruits. Even the distinctly straw-like graininess of wheat is numbed. The flavour is mainly that of sweetened bread with clove being more of an afterthought and banana nothing more than a footnote.

The flavour profile fails to really bring the spice or fruit; the mouthfeel is drab and characterless. Apart from sweetness, there is little else by way of texture, nothing to resemble the graininess or spiciness suggested by the aroma anyhow. My first order of business would be more carbonation; some thought might also be given to a bolder yeast.

Brooklyn Brewing is capable of having the golden touch - which with their Weisse beer kind of turns to bronze. It is in no way a bad beer but is simply not on the same level as most of the authentic German offerings. Certainly, the beer is not up to the brewery's usual standard. In most cases, Brooklyn captures a style with pin-point precision. Here's wondering if this bottle was just a little out of focus.

The beer pours a golden color with a white head. The aroma is full of wheat, with some grain husk and light banana notes. The flavor is very similar. The wheat notes come through the most, with some banana and clove notes thrown in. I also get some light lemon and orange citrus character. Medium, creamy mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

a nice tannish orangish color. decent head but dissipates pretty quickly. I'd like it to be much more carbonated though. very good taste with a nice fruity finish. decent mouthfeel. over all a very good beer, without a doubt the best heffeweisse i've had in america

Pours with a light amber body, slightly hazy from the sediment. Thick two inch thick head with great retention. Little lines and strands of egg white head all over the place

Smell, slightly musty wheat aroma, some slight fresh fruity esters (melon and a touch of banana), some clove and fresh herbs. Some soap character too and an almost stagnant water aroma, this bottle doesn't seem that fresh. B/B May 07

Taste, crisp and malty, spicy slightly phenolic character, cloves, heather, cinnamon, fresh fruit on the finish to some extent. Crisp sharpness from the malt, dry chalky yeast on the finish

A little disappointing, not a particularly fresh bottle. The nose was a little off putting with a few aromas that just didn't fit. That said all the flavour is there, this is very true to the hefe style too.

Poured from a bottle with a "best before" date of October '06, into a Weizen glass. Hazy golden with a huge, 2.5-finger fizzy white head. Little bubbles continued to rise as I drank this beer. A very nice presentation. . . .

I thought the nose was a bit one-dimensional: cloves. However, that's fairly consistent with the style, so I won't deduct too many points there. I just didn't sense anything other than the yeasty cloves.

As for taste: cloves once again, maybe some allspice and fruity, citrusy esthers. A very faint bitterness lingers on the back of the throat, but it feels more like a citrusy, lemony bitterness than a hop bitterness, and if you're not paying close attention you'd probably miss it.

Mouthfeel was also consistent with the style: light, clean and nicely carbonated.

Definitely drinkable on a hot summer day, although again I thought it was a tad bit one-dimensional and that one dimension -- cloves -- may get a bit old after a few. But I'll bet it would taste great with a lemon. . . .

Note: this is only my 2nd Hefe Weizen reviewed and unfortunately for the Brooklyner Weisse, it just doesn't match up to the Weihenstephaner, especially in mouthfeel. I think it's a solid version of the style, but not nearly as good as my first Hefe. . . .

Pours golden,with lots of bubbles.Thin white head, no retention,and some lacing. Smell is nice,but not strong. The usual citrus, with a bit of a malt edge.Body is light and carboniated. Taste is banana, and citrus. This is a smooth refreshing beer. Try it this summer!

This weisse beer poured a hazy, yellow brown color with creamy, white foam. The beer was lightly effervescent. The smell was a mild, banana-clove, malty aroma with a bit of hops. The taste was hoppy with some banana and clove flavors and a slightly sweet malty flavor. There was also a bit of yeast in the taste. The mouthfeel was smooth and hoppy. The body was medium with modest carbonation feel. The aftertaste was tangy and hoppy. This was a good unfiltered wheat beer, with quite a bit of hops.

Poured a hazy, slightly orangish-yellow color. Head was large and white though less billowy than expected. Fairly effervescent. Very nice fruity, wheaty nose with a tiny bit of citrus. Soft, light-to-medium body with some cloves. Smooth, creamy texture. Drinkability was nice as well.

A good, somewhat subdued American weizen. Light on phenolics, but very tasty and drinkable. Also should note that the sample tested was 2 months past its freshness date. Probably much better when straight from the brewery.

12 oz bottle poured into my tall Konig Ludwig weiss glass. Nice deep golden color with a 2-inch stark-white head and plenty of carbonation. Beautiful aroma of yeast, wheat, allspice, and clove. Once it hits the palate, the aroma transfers beautifully to the tongue. Nice sweet character that I can't quite place. Notes of citrus, yeast, and wheat, all enveloped by a golden sweetness. Mouthfeel is a bit heavy and creamy for a weissbier, but still pleasant. I like it, but it's a little rich for a hefeweizen.

Poured darker than most Hefe's and lacked some of the real banana characteristics expected but the flavour was full and rounded which let the beer grow with each sip. A dusting of cloves falls across the finish which seems like a nice take on the style. Worth a try for a different type of hefe.

The Brooklyn version of a Hefeweizen. Out of the bottle this beer poured a hazy honey gold color with one and half fingers of off-white head. Moderate retention but rather weak lacing. The aroma was nice, clean malt, wheat, some "horse blanket" funk and hints of sweetness. The flavors were similar though more focused on the funk. The first flavors I got were the wheat and hints of spices followed by some musty malt and a little vanilla. Rather uncomplicated. The finish, while crisp, was a little odd, similar to clover honey sweetness but not as rich. It was very smooth and easy to quaff. This is a very sessionable beer and good for the summer but it falls a little short of greatness for me despite being solid.

Appearance: Pours a light golden amber with minor cloudiness. A thin white head appeares which does not lace the glass at all.

Smell: Notes of banana, some citrus, and minor malt tones hit the nose. Also some other estery yeast tones are noted.

Tastes: Citrus and lemon hits the palate first, with a light refreshing carbonation. Flavors of slight banana and wheat hit in the middle along with some dry biscuit notes. This beer finishes dry with a slight bite to it.

Mouthfeel: This beer is crisp and the carbonation gives it a nice little zing to it. Light body for a weisse.

Drinkability: Due to this beers lightness it is very drinkable. Flavors go together well to make this a decent summer brew.

On tap at the Lazy Boy Saloon. Poured a nice, unfiltered cloudy appearance. A nice golden color with a good pure white head. Lots of tiny bubbles up the side of the glass. It is exactly what you would look for in a wheat beer appearance wise. On smelling, it smells strong, almost like a sweet wine. This is not what I expected, as I expect wheat beers to generally be somewhat softer on the alcohol side. The strong smell came through in the taste as well. The tiny bubbles make it feel like champagne on the tongue, but this actually helps, as the strength doesn't coat your tongue. It feels fizzy and strong, but not unpleasantly so.

Despite these good features, it tastes too strong to be a session beer. I almost went one lower in the rating, but didn't want to skew the scoring. This is a fine offering. Perhaps a little to wine-like, but a fine offering nonetheless.

Maltier than normal taste. Good wheat profile, fairly subdued on the spice. Smooth on the tongue, a bit too smooth. Could benefit from a bit more carbonation...but great served ice cold on a summer night.

served in 12 oz. bottle.
apperance is somewhat cloudy. nice banana and clove yeasty smell. the taste is good, but restrained. the german hefeweizens still pack more punch but this a good beer. very light mouthfeel and body. very drinkable, especially in hot muggy weather.
i recommend this. it will have a lot of crossover appeal with non-beergeeks.

Minimally hazy apricot with multiple bubble streams leading up to a good-sized cap of creamy beige. Weisse is darker than most hefe weizens and could probably pass for an IPA if the lights were low. Although the head is persistent, it has a nearly featureless surface and isn't exactly wowing me with lace.

The nose is nicely aromatic and fits the style to a capital 'T'. There's plenty of fruit (banana) and spice (clove), even through several fingers of froth. If the flavor profile follows suit, this will be one of the better domestic hefes that I've had.

I'm not sure what it is, but BW falls short of greatness. Goodness is debatable, while better than average is not. Maybe the dark color is leading me astray, but the beer tastes like an amber ale-hefe weizen hybrid. I wonder if less barley malt and more wheat would help.

A lightly toasted graininess holds down the bottom end while bruised banana and a moderate amount of clove occupy the top end. Things are mildly sweet early and mildly bitter late, with tangy-sour keeping its nose out in front at all points along the way. While this is an enjoyable ale, I wish the pieces fit together a little more tightly.

The mouthfeel is smack dab medium, fading to light-medium on the swallow. An acceptable amount of carbonation gets the job done without being flashy about it. Unfortunately, the expansive light creaminess that I look for in beer of this style is noticeably absent.

Brooklyner Weisse is decent beer that does nothing to stand out from the hefe weizen crowd. I wish I could be more specific about why I don't love it, but it just doesn't float my boat. If you're looking for something both delicious and thirst quenching from Brooklyn, I'd suggest either Lager or Pilsner.

Brooklyn Brewery? Hefeweizen? This can't help but be good, I'm sure...

Not so fast, my friend. It poured a golden color with a thin, white head--pretty strange looking for a hefeweiss, with no trace of cloudyness and only a little drop of yeast. There's little depth to this one, which has a nice, wheaty flavor with hints of citrus and spice, but not much else. On the plus side, it is very drinkable, and enjoyable--even if it is a touch simplistic.

I blame myself for expecting too much from what is a good but not great beer.

Pours a hazy pale straw color with a small white head that thins. Mild lacing on the glass.

Aroma is a subdued yeasty/breadiness with light hints of clove and banana, with a touch of vanila.

Tastes like it smells - like a junior version of a hefeweizen. There is a light yeasty/bready flavor upfront with mild clove and banana. The vanilla is actually more pronounced in the flavor and lingers a bit at the finish. Refreshing on a warm eveing.

Light body, solid carbonation.

This beer is quite drinkable and does have a very pleasant taste. But, when considering the style in my review, it's just a very tame version of what a real hefeweizen should be. My scores for this beer don't reflect my true enjoyment, as I just can't score it on par with the standards for this stye such as Weihenstephaner.

This beer poured with a nice fluffy head, it was cloudy, or "hazy" as the label states. I could definitely smell the yeast (this is good), and upon first sip, I could definitely taste the yeast (also something good for a weisse), however, something very strange happened; the sips which followed seemed to lose some of that initial flavor. I can say, this is a nice summer beer when you want something refreshing and not heavy.